Sparks Fly
by Loona Rosamunde
Summary: Shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, America finds himself trying to break through the shell of a stubborn Belarus.
1. Sparks Fly

Summary: Shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, America finds himself trying to break through the shell of a stubborn Belarus.

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><p>Alfred F. Jones—also known as the personification of the United States of America—stood back and watched as the people around him mingled. It wasn't often that the boisterous young man did not force himself into the multiple conversations; these dinner parties hosted both the personifications and their human leaders which allowed for relaxed conversation rather than the pressured arguments which often defined their world meetings. All the same, Alfred had grown bored and taken to simply observe those around him.<p>

Already he'd watched his older brother Arthur Kirkland, commonly referred to as England slip away with his long-time frenemy Francis Bonnefoy, also known as France. Alfred's twin brother, Matthew Williams—Canada—sat in the corner with his polar bear Kumajiro. His boss was beside him, conversing with Alfred's boss on some random topic or another, while Mattie silently nodded along. Alfred continued to scan the room, finding nothing out of the ordinary—a hero always had to be on alert after all.

The personification of Italy hung on Germany's arm while trying to coax the stubborn man into eating another plate of pasta. China sat at a table with the other Asian nations, while Japan stood nearby trading photographs with Hungary. Alfred's eyes continued around the room, and as he mentally did his own roll call, he made a slightly alarming realization. A certain communist country was missing.

And by communist, Alfred means former communist, though in all honesty he did not see much change in the deranged man.

"It is much more peaceful than the last meeting, da?"

Alfred jumped and whirled around, taking on a battle stance as he sized up his old ally-turned-enemy. "Dude! Don't do that!"

Ivan Braginski, commonly referred to as Russia, smiled in amusement. "Did I scare you, comrade?"

"Of course not!"

Ivan chuckled and looked back to the rest of the room. Alfred's eyes narrowed as he examined his enemy, searching for any signs of danger. Feeling the self-proclaimed hero's eyes on him, Ivan finally returned his gaze to Alfred.

"I did not bring bomb if that is what you are thinking."

Alfred scoffed, "I wasn't."

"Your mistrust of me is no secret."

"Dude, you tried taking over half of Europe."

"Nyet. My boss tried that. I had nothing to do with it."

"You didn't try to stop it."

"I advised him of consequences. That is all we can do, America. Haven't you learned?"

"I haven't had to."

Russia arched a brow. "Your nation is no better."

"Only you would insult your host nation."

"Only you would start an argument with a guest. Like child."

"Hey, man, you started it. Shouldn't you be hiding or something like you usually do at these?"

"Nyet. I do not know where my sestra went. No one has seen her. I looked for her, but she did not answer the door to her room."

"She was here earlier." Alfred frowned, looking again over the crowd and cursing himself for not noticing the second missing nation.

"You noticed my sestra?" Ivan's eyes narrowed on the blonde.

"I…knew she was here."

Ivan took a threatening step toward him. "You stay away from my little sestra, da? It would be shame for your nation if you disappeared."

"My boss is already in talks with hers about reaching agreements, she's not behind your walls anymore, commie."

"She is her own nation now."

"And there's nothing wrong with offering her help and a friendly ally, _da_?"

Ivan glared at him but looked away. Alfred stood for a moment, waiting for the Russian to say more before starting to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Ivan asked.

Alfred shrugged. "Fresh air?"

"If you see Natalya—"

"I'll tell her you're looking for her," Alfred finished. "Later, commie!"

With a slight wave, he wandered from the party and into the lobby of the hotel in which the gathering was held. He had some desire to simply go to his room for the evening, but at the same time knew that would result in his boss giving him a strict lecture on the responsibilities of being the host nation. As much as Alfred hated the formal gatherings, he hated the lectures more. Still, fresh air would be better than returning to the hot, stuffy banquet room.

Venturing to the rooftop, Alfred relaxed against the cool breeze and walked to lean against the railing along the edge. The New York City skyline stretched out before him. While the hotel was not the tallest building in the vast city, it was enough to create a spectacular view.

It wasn't until Alfred turned to move to the other side that he noticed the young beauty standing just a short distance away. She did not seem to notice that Alfred was even there. Dark eyes stared at the city lights around them, and for a moment Alfred considered silently leaving the rooftop escape. The notion of leaving the young girl alone up there quickly stopped him.

"Belarus?"

Natalya jumped slightly, suddenly realizing that she was no longer alone. "Mr. America?"

Alfred nodded. "Yeah. You can call me Alfred if you'd like, I only go by America at meetings. I meant to find you earlier, to congratulate you on your independence."

"Thank you." Natalya turned back to the city view.

Alfred slowly approached her, leaning forward against the railing beside her. "So, what are you doing up here all alone? Everyone else is downstairs. Usually you're not far from Russia."

"I could ask you the same thing." The two fell into silence for a moment before Natalya continued. "I wanted to be alone."

"Why would you want that? Nobody wants to be alone."

Natalya glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "It was…too loud down there."

"The city's not much quieter," Alfred pointed out.

"Lithuania was annoying me."

"He's been with Poland all evening."

With a huff, Natalya turned to face him, her hand twitching and wishing that her sister hadn't forced her to wear such a dress that made bringing her knives impossible. The cocky grin on Alfred's face did nothing to quell her anger.

"Are you going to argue with everything I say?" she snapped.

"I'm just trying to figure out why such a beautiful lady would want to be all alone up here."

Unable to form an English response, Natalya turned to hide her blush from the compliment. Amused, Alfred pretended not to see and tore his eyes from her.

"Weren't you having fun?" Alfred asked, breaking the silence once more.

"It was…not too boring. I am not used to politics yet. Brother always handled that."

"That's the good thing about these parties, the politics is given up for discussion of golf and gossiping about which world leaders show up to meetings without pants."

The edges of her lips turned up ever so slightly. "Do you enjoy countering everything I say?"

"Well, it got you to smile."

Quickly forcing a frown, Natalya crossed her arms.

"Come on, Nat, you just gained your independence. You should be happy."

"Do not call me Nat. My name is Natalya."

"You're avoiding the topic."

"I am not avoiding anything."

"Sure, _Natalya_."

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you mocking me?"

"Of course not."

"I do not believe you."

"I have no reason to lie to you."

Pursing her lips, Natalya let it go. "Your city is very beautiful."

"Thanks."

"Don't you ever miss the stars?"

"Sometimes." Alfred looked up at the dark sky above them. "I don't always live in the city. Usually I stay far enough away that the lights don't block it all out."

"I see…"

"Do you see the stars a lot at home?"

Natalya shook her head. "I do not look for them."

"Why not?"

"They bring back memories."

"That's a bad thing?"

"It…depends on the memory."

"You should make good memories then."

"You say that like it's simple."

Alfred shrugged. "Don't you ever have fun?"

"There are more important things."

"More important than having fun once in a while? Don't you ever go out and do something just because you want to?"

"No."

"Really?"

"My personal life is no business of yours, Mr. America."

Alfred frowned. "Of course. But seriously, you can't just be all work. Visit some of your allies once in a while, pick up a hobby or something."

"I do not have…hobbies. Or allies."

"You and I can be allies."

"But…we are enemies."

"Not officially. New country, new international relations. The choice is yours, doll. What do ya say?" Alfred held out a hand.

Natalya eyed the gesture warily before placing her hand in his. Alfred widely grinned.

"See, that wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Natalya rolled her eyes and pulled her hand away. The two stood for a few more minutes in amicable silence until the nearby church bell tower rang out the hour.

"Well, I suppose I'll leave you to being alone again then?" Alfred said, glancing at the young woman before stepping away.

Natalya hummed in acknowledgement.

Alfred hesitated. "If you need anything, let me know, 'kay?"

Finally facing him again, Natalya spared him a questioning glance. "Amer—….Alfred, why are you being so nice to me?"

"Why shouldn't I be?" he shrugged.

"Until recently we were enemies."

"Russia and I were enemies. You and I didn't even really know each other."

"You're avoiding my question."

Alfred's eyes widened. "I…know what it's like to have everyone watching and waiting for you to fail. I like to see those people proven wrong. So, if you need help, I'm here for you."

"I…thank you."

"No problem. I'll see you around then?"

Without waiting for a response, Alfred started towards the door. A moment later a small hand clasped around his arm.

"I…I actually got lost and somehow ended up here," she admitted, looking down. "I want to go back downstairs now. Can you show me the way?"

"Only if you smile for me."

Natalya glared up at him. "I don't want to."

"Yes you do."

"I do not."

"Come on. One smile?"

"No."

"Seriously, how could anyone resist smiling while in the presence of the world's greatest hero?"

Natalya covered her mouth to hide a soft laugh, earning a cocky grin from Alfred.

"See? Told you so," he said.

Before she could argue, Alfred reached out to take her hand and gently pulled her back inside, striking up a casual conversation with the Belarusian beauty as they made their way down to the banquet room.

Meanwhile, a certain Russian watched the pair from the shadows.

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><p>Next chapter: "Teardrops"<p> 


	2. Teardrops

AN: I wasn't going to make another chapter, but I've decided a certain series of oneshots I was planning will be best grouped together, so expect one more chapter in this. A multi-chap fic will follow. The pairing will continue to be AmeBel.

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><p>The two had developed a strange friendship. The extroverted, obnoxious hero, and the quiet, but murderous young woman spent every spare moment they had with each other. Much to the surprise of the other nations, the pair had become fast friends.<p>

Even more surprising was the change that became apparent in both personifications. Alfred no longer burst into ridiculously impossible plans at the most inappropriate times. In fact, as many nations realized, he calmed down and seemed to take things much more seriously than he ever had. The changes in Natalya were less noticeable, as she was not nearly as scrutinized as her new friend. However, if nations happened to wander into the room early enough they could catch the young girl actually showing a smile in the presence the self-proclaimed hero.

But what no one could clearly see was that Natalya not only befriended her former enemy, she had slowly begun to fall for him. The more time spent with one another, the farther she fell until she realized this was the true love she had desired for so long.

It was during the lunch break at the latest world meeting when Alfred first brought it up: _Her_. Who she was exactly Natalya didn't know, nor did the Belarusian girl want to know. She had grown accustomed to spending her free time with Alfred, something she was not used to as she spent more time with her brother than anyone else. Anyone else would be a threat to her relationship with the American.

It was little more than a simple "I'm in love with someone," thrown into the conversation before Alfred suddenly changed the subject to a new flight simulation game he'd just gotten from Kiku.

Natalya had frozen at the words, unsure whether or not he'd even truly said them. She stared at him a moment, waiting for him to elaborate. When he never did, she let it go and pretended it never happened.

As much as she hated to admit it, she'd come to think of Alfred as someone belonging to her and her alone. Alone was exactly how Natalya knew she would find herself should Alfred leave her for the company of someone else. The two continued their lunch with small talk on various subjects far from romance. _She_ was not mentioned again that day.

Yet Natalya's mind wandered once or twice to thoughts of who Alfred could have been referring to. She found herself paying more attention to his actions during the meeting. If his eyes lingered on someone longer than a moment she took note, quickly realizing how foolish her actions were. After all, why should it matter to her if he was in love with someone?

By the end of the meeting Natalya was more frustrated than she ever had been as she packed up to leave. She took her time, knowing Russia and Ukraine would be waiting for her outside the room. She stiffened for a moment when Alfred's arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"Hey, Nat, you got plans later?" he asked.

"I have to pack. My flight home leaves tomorrow morning."

Releasing her, Alfred turned to sit on the edge of the table. "Come on, how long can it take you to pack? Hang out with me for the evening? Before you go home? Please?"

"_Niama_. I will get distracted again and it will be late by the time you take me back to the hotel and I have meetings with my government the day after tomorrow."

Alfred pouted. "But, Nat, it'll be weeks before we can hang out again. Please? Please? Please?"

"That won't work." Natalya zipped up her bag and threw it onto her shoulder.

"Please, Nattie?"

"Don't call me that," Natalya snapped, turning away and walking towards the door.

"Then hang out with me."

"No."

"At least let me buy you dinner or something?" he whined.

Natalya stopped, leveling him with a fierce gaze. "No hamburgers."

"No hamburgers," Alfred instantly agreed. "Whatever you want."

With a resigned sigh, Natalya finally nodded. "Pick me up from the hotel in an hour, and don't…don't let Ivan see you."

The American widely grinned. "You got it!"

Alfred leaned forward to press his lips to her cheek before bounding from the room. Natalya's eyes widened and she reached up to let her fingertips brush against the lingering tingle of the kiss. She smiled softly for a moment, earning slightly fearful looks from the few nations still in the room. Coming out of her daze, she sent them a glare and stalked out of the room.

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><p>The second time <em>She<em> came up was later that same night. As promised, Alfred had taken Natalya to dinner. Rather than taking her straight back to the hotel, he insisted on a walk through the park. Thus the pair found themselves on the lightly lit path, with Alfred's signature bomber jacket wrapped around Natalya's shoulders. She lightly leaned against his side as he casually wrapped an arm around her. They walked in silence for a long time before America finally spoke.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Natalya glanced up at him curiously. "Have you?"

"I think I am now."

"Oh."

"But she doesn't know."

Natalya shifted her gaze toward the ground. "She doesn't?"

"Haven't told her yet. I don't wanna mess it up. I don't think she feels the same."

The Belarusian remained silent, unwilling to say anything that would damage her own relationship with Alfred. She wanted to tell him the girl wasn't good enough, that he should keep his silence. Romance had not something she was experienced in, though she could easily relate to Alfred's predicament. Most of her life had been spent chasing her own brother; therefore she'd never even imagined herself with someone else until now. But once again she would be left alone.

"Hey, Japan got me an advanced copy of the sequel to that game you liked. You should come over and we can play it together."

"_Niama_."

"I'll make hamburgers."

"_Niama._"

"Come on, Nat, it's no fun without my best girl. Please?"

"Your best girl?"

"Who else would be? So, you'll come over?"

Natalya glared at him for a moment before rolling her eyes. "_Tak._"

Alfred grinned and lifted her up, spinning around before she could protest. She wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him as he twirled her through the air.

"Alfred, put me down!" she shouted with a surprised laugh.

The American came to a stop, but kept the small girl in his arms. "Do I have to?"

"Yes!"

He pouted but allowed her feet to slip to the ground. When he kept his arms around her waist, Natalya looked up to him questioningly. He stared down at her with a gentle expression, blue eyes filled with something the Belarusian simply couldn't put her mind to. They remained that way until the sound of a distant car horn brought Alfred back to reality.

"I should uh…get you back to the hotel. Guess I kept you out later than I said I would," his arms dropped as he shrugged sheepishly.

"I do not mind. Wanya was busy with paperwork tonight anyway, so I would have been alone with Katyusha and her crying."

Alfred smiled, pulling her back into his side as they continued on. "So I rescued you from an evening of boredom."

The corners of Natalya's lips twitched. "Does that make you my hero?"

"Only if you let me be."

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><p>It continued on in a similar manner, Alfred mentioning the mysterious girl at least once in every conversation he held with Natalya. In response the girl got more and more annoyed, already hating a girl that Alfred wouldn't even name.<p>

"She has the softest hair," Alfred hinted, whilst sitting on the couch playing with Natalya's long blonde locks.

"Who?"

"The girl I'm falling for."

"Of course."

"It's always perfect too," he continued, twirling the strands framing Natalya's face. "But she doesn't seem like the type to spend hours preening over her appearance. I don't think she knows how beautiful she really is."

Natalya swatted his hand away. "I thought we were watching this movie. You're distracting me from it. Explain why this boy and his grandfather keep interrupting the story. And you better explain what really happened to that stable boy."

Alfred smiled. "As you wish."

* * *

><p>"She's kind."<p>

Natalya sighed, glancing up from the book she'd been reading to see Alfred losing interest in the baseball game on television. She'd escaped her boss, and her brother, for another weekend to spend with the silly American. Unfortunately her surprise was ruined by the fact that baseball season had just begun, capturing much of the hero's attention.

"This again?" she asked.

"She is! Nobody else sees it-"

"Not even her," Natalya muttered, dropping her gaze back to her book.

With a confused tilt of his head, Alfred plopped down onto the couch beside her, leaning on her shoulder. "Whatcha readin'?"

"Nothing you would find interesting."

"I always find what you're doing interesting."

"I thought you were watching that strange sport of yours."

"I'd rather watch you. You wanna go get ice cream or something?"

Belarus folded the corner of the page and set the book aside. "You are very strange, Amerika."

"Is that a yes?"

"You'll miss your game."

"But you're bored. I don't want ya to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere, Alfred."

"Promise?"

"What is with you today?"

"I can't be happy to see you?"

"You were more interested in your game a moment ago," Natalya murmured. "I suppose this…girl you're so fond of is a fan of….baseball as well?"

Alfred chuckled, glancing at her book. "No. Watching baseball is definitely not her favorite thing."

* * *

><p>Although Natalya hated to admit it, she could not imagine going back to the time without Alfred. Each time <em>She<em> came up the Belarusian grew more and more jealous. She knew jealousy well, after all it had been something she experienced many times in her years obsessed with her older brother. However, America was different.

They were once again in America's living room, Natalya was too afraid to invite the American over. Ivan would not understand at all about her friendship with his enemy. Natalya sat curled up against Alfred as an old western movie played in the background. Neither nation realized the other wasn't paying attention.

Natalya was too busy pondering ways that she could keep America as hers. The approach she had taken in pursuit of her brother was clearly not an option. She would not dare to risk chasing Alfred away, even if that meant sacrificing her long-awaited happy ending.

Alfred, on the other hand, combed fingers through the light blonde hair. His own thoughts were equally as chaotic, though more distraught with doubt than anything else. As the credits began to roll on the television, Alfred finally gathered the courage to speak.

"Do you think I should tell her? It's risking a lot, I'd lose everything if she refused to give me a chance. But I can't stop hoping that she wouldn't do that to me, she's not that kind of person."

Natalya frowned. "Do you have to bring this up every time?"

"I just…want to know how you would react to someone admitting to loving you. I want to know what I should expect from her if I-"

Natalya glared at him. "If you love her so much then tell her! I don't want to hear it anymore!"

Alfred fell silent, staring at her as she pushed herself out of his embrace and stood up. The American jumped to his feet and quickly reached for her.

"Nat, I—"

Natalya slapped his hand away. "I have an early flight to catch."

"Nat, no. Don't go!"

Natalya turned away as he reached for her. When his hand connected with her arm she shook him off and left without looking back. Alfred's shoulders sagged as he sat back down, mentally cursing himself for messing up again.

Alfred kicked at the end table and fell back on the couch.

"I'm such an idiot," he muttered, burying his face in his hands.

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><p>Natalya stormed into her house, holding her head high as if she hadn't spent the majority of the return home losing a battle against heartbroken tears. Not only had she lost Alfred to a stranger, but after she left the way she did there was no way she could see him remaining her friend.<p>

"Sestra, is that you?" Katyusha called from a distant room.

Natalya turned to the stairs, intent on fleeing to her bedroom but the older girl caught her before she had a chance.

"Amerika called several times. He seemed upset. You're lucky I was here to answer it and not Wanya. Did something happen?" Ukraine asked.

"Nothing, Katyusha. I'm tired from traveling. Let me go."

"Something was delivered for you. It's sitting in on the table."

"I'll look at it later," Natalya snapped, pulling out of her older sister's grasp.

"But, little sestra, it's important."

Slightly annoyed, Natalya faced her sister with a glare that nearly scared the young woman to tears. With a few muttered Belarusian words, she quickly went to the other room.

On the table in the center sat a small vase filled with bright red roses.

"You should call Amerika," Ukraine added. "I would hate to see you lose him, he makes you so happy."

Natalya didn't reply as she reached for the card.

_Dear Natalya,_

_I have been telling her. I just don't know if you feel the same. I love you. _

_Love, Your Hero, Alfred_

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><p>Next chapter: Last Kiss<p> 


	3. Last Kiss

AN: This will be the final chapter of this oneshot trilogy. I will begin work on a longer multiple chapter story to follow these and further tie them together. Right now the title is potentially _Remembrance_ however it is subject to change. Like these oneshots it will focus around AmeBel, possibly with other pairings making an appearance.

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><p>He never came home. Normally this wasn't something that would concern her. She would admit to being clingy and wanting to know exactly where Alfred was at every moment, but she had come to understand that wasn't always possible. But as his wife, she was supposed be concerned with his whereabouts. As Natalya, she took it a bit far at times, but Alfred never minded.<p>

This wasn't the first time he'd been late, especially recently with tensions between his nation and those abroad. He would get caught up in meetings and show up after nightfall with flowers and a million apologies only to be met with a well-thrown knife flying into the doorframe. But he had always come home before, no matter how angry he knew his wife would be when he showed up too late for dinner. He never failed to come home to her and reassure her that she would never be alone.

But she suspected he knew from the beginning this time away would go terribly wrong.

* * *

><p><em>He squeezed her hand as his flight was called overhead. "I gotta go, doll."<em>

_Natalya nodded, her eyes avoiding his face as he turned towards her. A hand reached down to cup her chin._

"_Nat?"_

"_You're leaving me."_

"_I'm not leaving you. It's just a work trip."_

"_Into a warzone."_

_Alfred rolled his eyes. "So?"_

"_You won't let me go with you."_

"_It's dangerous and you're…"_

_Her eyes flashed dangerously. "I'm what?"_

_Alfred quickly backtracked. "It's just for a meeting with my boss. It's nothing that you need to worry about. It'll only take a few days. I'll be back before you know it!"_

_Before he could finish, Natalya moved forward, bunching his shirt in her hands as she clung to him. Alfred's arms immediately wrapped around her._

"_Why are you so worried? I'll be back in a couple weeks. Just checking in with military officials. Normal work stuff. The only problem I'll run into is your brother's scheduled to be around the area too."_

_A small hand slapped his arm._

_Alfred laughed. "What was that for?"_

"_Stop insulting my brother."_

"_Hey, I haven't started any fights during meetings lately!"_

"_You almost did at the G20 Summit."_

"_He almost killed me! You should have waited until after the meeting to tell him about things!"_

"_You don't have to be so dramatic, idiot."_

"_When have I ever been dramatic?" he asked with a smirk._

_Now it was Natalya's turn to roll her eyes. She leaned against him, hands still clenching his shirt._

"_When will you be back?"_

"_I told you, Nat. It's gonna depend, but I'll be back by the end of the month."_

"_You promise?"_

_America leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I promise, doll."_

_Natalya's grip tightened before she slowly pulled away. "You're going to miss your flight."_

_Al glanced at his watch. "I got a few minutes still."_

"_Alfred, you're going to miss your flight."_

"_They'll wait." He slipped his arms around her waist. "Are you going to be okay?"_

"Tak_."_

"_If you need anything and can't get a hold of me, call Mattie. Or Arthur. I told them to keep an eye on you in case I couldn't get home soon enough."_

"_Why would I not be able to get in contact with you?"_

_Alfred shrugged, avoiding her gaze. "You know how things are. I'll call you as soon as I can, doll."_

"_As soon as you land."_

"_Of course."_

"_And when you get to wherever you're staying."_

"_Yep."_

"_And before and after your meetings. And when you wake up and before you go to bed-"_

"_I'll call you as much as possible, Nat." Alfred chuckled and grabbed her hands. "Don't worry. Your appointment's in two weeks, right? I'll be back long before that."_

_Natalya looked away. "Promise? You won't get yourself hurt playing hero again?"_

"_It was one time and I am the hero!" He gave her hands a squeeze. "I promise. I'll see you in a few days."_

_Natalya nodded as the final call to board rang overhead. Before she could respond to Alfred's words he pulled her into one last kiss. Her arms wound around his neck and he held her close for a moment before moving away. He kissed her forehead and his hand slipped briefly to rest on her stomach before he stepped back._

"_I'll be home soon."_

_Natalya stood watching long after he was gone, staring absentmindedly at the busy terminal until the plane was long gone._

* * *

><p>Six months had come and gone.<p>

For the first week they had spoken at least once a day. Alfred lived up to his promise. Natalya ignored the strain in his voice when she asked if he was truly away from the conflict. She ignored the uncharacteristic weariness in his voice, or how he always repeated his declarations of love more often than necessary.

After the second week, he stopped contacting her.

There had been little warning to this, just her husband hinting that he was going into an area where phone calls were difficult and internet was nonexistent. He said he would call her the next day when he boarded the plane to come back to her. He had lied.

Other nations had visited.

Matthew had come on his way to meet up with his own boss in the same nation as Alfred. He'd stayed the weekend before leaving her alone again.

Katyusha had stayed the longest, arriving just a few weeks after Alfred had left and staying until the past week when her boss had insisted that she return.

Lithuania had shown up for a few hours, just checking in before he left as well.

Ivan had called, but important matters had kept him away from visiting his little sister. Katyusha had let it slip that he had yet to return from the Middle East.

Hungary had come a few months in, helping Natalya more than the latter expected to need, and being the only one able to get through to her that she shouldn't doubt Alfred of all people.

And most recently, Arthur had traveled to see her. He'd stayed long enough for the first sip of a cup of tea, the remainder of which sat beside the letter he'd brought which lied opened on the coffee table. He would have stayed longer.

But Alfred wasn't coming home.

Cries called her attention and broke the trance she'd fallen into. As she rushed upstairs the letter sitting on the table fluttered to the ground.

**Dear Mr. Kirkland,**

**The United States Secretary of War regrets to inform you that your brother Alfred F. Jones has been declared missing in action. Further details will be forwarded to you as they become available.**


End file.
